Thursday morning Garrett Joe Swanson had a plea hearing in Kosciusko County Superior Court I, but he did not take the deals that were offered.
Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Hampton said that a plea agreement was not signed during the meeting and a pre-trial contference has been scheduled for Nov. 1 at 8:30 a.m. for Swanson, 29, of 1951 E. Wade Road, Warsaw, to determine if he would like to go to trial or take the plea agreements on the table.
The Times-Union does not have access to the contents of the proposed plea agreements. The plea agreements are not a matter of public record until they are signed by both parties.
Swanson has been charged with three counts of forgery, a Class C felony, and three counts of theft, a Class D felony, as well as aggravated battery, a Class B felony. The charges stem from two unrelated incidents.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on May 24, a customer came into the Auto Park and asked the manager, Mark Thomason, why they had not received a $1,500 refund check that was supposed to be sent out to them.
Thomason checked the books and allegedly found that Swanson, a former employee, had taken the check and cashed it in his name.
Thomason found there were allegedly five other customers that never received referral checks. Allegedly, Swanson cashed five $100 referral checks.
Swanson also faces unrelated charges from a May 18 bar fight at Rex’s Rendezvous, 204 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw.
Swanson is charged with aggravated battery, a Class B felony, after allegedly punching a Warsaw man twice in the face.
If convicted on all counts Swanson could face a maximum of 53 years in prison.
